The Montreal Canadiens did not expect to be here already. Even though we knew they drafted incredibly well, made shrewd moves to build the top six, and signed players to incredible contracts, the way the Canadiens played this past season was incredible.
Everything went right last season. Cole Caufield scored 50 goals. Nick Suzuki hit 100 points AND won the Selke Trophy. Lane Hutson took another step forward, and nobody can deny he’s one of the best defensemen in the league. Jakub Dobes gave them a legitimate star in net.
All of these players are still very young, and they have young players coming up behind them. Ivan Demidov is growing into one of the better young wingers in the league. Former first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky turned into the big-bodied scoring winger he was drafted to be.
This is a team built like a true future dynasty. We don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but it’s hard to ignore the trajectory of this roster. As long as Marty St. Louis remains a great coach and Kent Hughes keeps adding positively to the roster, the Canadiens will be a constant contender in the Eastern Conference.
This offseason, Kent Hughes didn’t add anything. Listen, he was still busy. He signed both Demidov and Dobes to incredible extensions to keep them in place for years. Demidov probably signed the last eight-year deal in Canadiens’ history, and he came in under $10 million per season.
Demidov is expected to be the next player to take the big steps. That is part of the reason why the Canadiens stayed put during free agency and trade season.
Kent Hughes keeping the roster intact is a big risk for the Canadiens
The Canadiens made a few very small moves this offseason. Their additions include former Harvard star Reilly Walsh, a trade for the Rangers’ Brett Berard, and a trade for prospect Sasha Pastujov. None of those moves are going to have an NHL impact this season.
The lineup is going to be largely the same, which means Jake Evans is still the second-line center, they still need to find the right place for Kirby Dach, and Josh Anderson, and Phillip Danault has too big a role in the bottom six. This isn’t the best position to be in for a team, but with the stars at the top hitting on all cylinders, it should be fine.
However, this team feels like it’s one injury away from having a really scary conversation. Losing any of Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, Dobes, or Noah Dobson feels like it would hurt them in ways that lead to games lost. There is not enough depth on this roster if everyone plays like they did last season. Who is the next winger up when an injury eventually hits the Canadiens? Hughes probably hopes it’s Zack Bolduc, but it’s hard to put all their eggs in that basket. Maybe it’s Alexandre Texier, but that’s still asking a lot. It just can’t be Josh Anderson.
Also, the Atlantic Division is expected to be in a better position next season. The Toronto Maple Leafs should be back to playoff contention after adding Gavin McKenna, the Florida Panthers will be a Cup contender with Brady Tkachuk on the roster, and the Senators will have extra motivation from their captain bolting to play with his brother. Buffalo is expected to remain good, and Boston is the gift that keeps on making the playoffs. Tampa isn’t expected to go anywhere, so even if Detroit bottoms out, the Canadiens are not guaranteed a playoff spot.
The one thing going for the Canadiens is that the players are bought in. Nick Suzuki recently spoke to TVA Sports and said it was “nice” that they were bringing back the whole roster.
The Canadiens should be taking a step forward, but hockey isn’t always linear. Look at multiple other future contenders that never got there, like the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs. Hockey is a game of centimeters, and missing on one offseason could set the team back. At the same time, making the wrong move could set them back, too.
Hughes bet on growth, and if he gets it, he might have built one of the best teams in the league.
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